I love tree tunnels. They’re mysterious, foreboding and fairytale-like. There’s just something that tugs at my inner wonder whenever I see a long path intertwined with boughs of emerald—or in other parts of the world, golden—leaves with gleaming promise of light at the far end of it.

I passed this one at Cebu’s Sta. Rosa Island on a habal-habal en route to the Olango Bird Sanctuary. On my way back, I begged off numerous rides and walked just to have a chance to photograph it. Never mind my ultra-punishingly-heavy backpack; I got my tree tunnel photograph.